Chapter 28: Heaven and Earth Have Calamities

"Boss, is this really okay?" Sun Zhang listened, feeling a pang of regret. "We paid a hefty sum for that courtyard; it was meant to bribe Steward Qian. How can we just give it away so cheaply to this young man?""If we're really going to give it to him, shouldn't we wait until he helps us secure the fleet?"

The woman in yellow cast a sidelong glance at Sun Zhang. "Just go when I tell you to. If we wait until then, a mere courtyard might not be enough to satisfy him."

Sun Zhang mumbled a few complaints under his breath but ultimately dared not defy his boss's order. He obediently handed the land deed to Li Fan.

Li Fan didn't refuse. Having little to pack, he moved into the small courtyard on East Street that very day.

Compared to the slums outside the city, the environment around this courtyard was significantly better. Officials from the Glazed Prefecture were on duty at the alley entrance, responsible for public security. The courtyard itself was also far more spacious than his previous dwelling, with three main rooms and two side rooms on each side. Although not huge, it was more than enough for Li Fan living alone.

After politely declining several maids sent by the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, Li Fan settled into his new home, quietly awaiting the fleet's next departure.

Li Fan initially thought it wouldn't be long, but an unexpected turn of events made the date of the next voyage uncertain.

The wind disaster arrived!

Li Fan had often heard people on Glazed Island discuss "wind disasters" before, but he hadn't paid much attention. He assumed it would be like the typhoons or hurricanes he had experienced before his transmigration – just a larger storm.

However, when the wind disaster truly struck, Li Fan realized he had been completely mistaken!

That day, Li Fan was practicing the *Xuanhuang Pure Heart Incantation* at home as usual when he suddenly heard a series of urgent sounds from outside. Strange and sharp noises reverberated constantly over the island, quickly spreading across the entire Glazed Island.

"Hurry home! The wind disaster is coming!""May the Immortal Master protect us, may the Immortal Master protect us!""Mother, where are you! Come home quickly!"

The island instantly descended into chaos, filled with panicked and frightened shouts. For a moment, Li Fan couldn't understand what was happening.

Suddenly, he saw a blue light barrier appear above Glazed Island. The barrier, like an inverted giant bowl, spanned the entire island, enveloping everything within it.

"The island protection array has been activated; there's no need to panic! Stay indoors and do not go outside!" A clear female voice accompanied the light barrier, instantly echoing across the island.

"The Immortal Master is merciful!"

Listening to the rising and falling cries all around him, Li Fan looked up and carefully observed the island protection array. Blue light shimmered, isolating the inside of the island from the outside.

Characters unfamiliar to Li Fan subtly appeared and disappeared on the light barrier, looking incredibly mysterious.

A howling sound, like a wailing ghost, gradually rose. The wind had arrived!

Waves of ripples spread across the light barrier, completely blocking the powerful wind. Inside the barrier, there was not a single breath of wind; it was perfectly calm.

Then, a torrential downpour began. Dense raindrops, almost forming continuous lines, lashed against the light barrier. Concentric ripples emanated across the barrier, deflecting all the heavy rain. Outside was a raging storm, but inside the light barrier, it was calm and peaceful.

"Is this the power of an immortal?" Li Fan silently praised it in his heart.

Although he had witnessed the destructive power of Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, capable of annihilating an entire city, seeing this island protection array still filled Li Fan with an unbearable longing and yearning.

The strong winds and heavy rain continued for over half an hour. The rain gradually subsided, and the wind slowly lessened.

Just as Li Fan thought the wind disaster was nearing its end, he suddenly noticed something amiss. Instead of clearing up, the sky grew even darker. Countless dark clouds appeared from nowhere, layer upon layer, seemingly endless, pressing down towards the ground. In an instant, the world plunged into complete darkness.

The thick dark clouds seemed just within reach. The clouds appeared to be brewing something, and a brief silence fell over Glazed Island.

The silence was quickly shattered.

"Boom!"

A thunderous roar exploded in Li Fan's ears.

Boom, boom, boom!

Enormous, deafening sounds, like exploding thunder, simultaneously erupted from all directions, continuous and unending. It was like an endless symphony, reverberating constantly between heaven and earth.

Amidst this immense sound, Li Fan felt dizzy, his vision blurring with spots, and his chest felt as if it were being crushed by a massive stone slab, making it difficult to breathe. When he touched his nose, he found it was bleeding profusely.

Li Fan was horrified. Just as he thought of retreating indoors to take shelter, he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet shake violently. The world spun, and Li Fan quickly lost his balance, falling to the ground. The earth trembled continuously, as if something was striking it repeatedly.

Li Fan looked up and saw a sight that nearly stopped his breath. A colossal wall of water, its height unknown, filled his entire vision. Swept by the raging wind, it bore down on Glazed Island with overwhelming force, poised to crush it. The towering wave was about to crash down in an instant, burying all life below.

Li Fan couldn't help but raise his hand instinctively to shield himself.

"Boom!"

The massive wave crashed against the blue light barrier. The barrier twisted and seemed as if it were about to shatter. However, after a flash of blue light, the barrier returned to normal. It stood firm against the enormous waves, like a rock by the sea.

Failing to swallow Glazed Island seemed to enrage the sea. Wave after wave, giant swells crashed against the island in relentless succession. Glazed Island truly seemed like a small seedling swaying in a storm, as if it could be ripped apart at any moment.

There were many moments when Glazed Island appeared to be completely submerged by the seawater. Li Fan almost felt that his life in this world was about to end.

Fortunately, the island protection array was more reliable than he had imagined; it held firm without breaking. The towering waves crashed ceaselessly. This apocalyptic scene left Li Fan almost dazed.

He didn't know how long he remained in this stupor before the massive waves gradually subsided. But they only became calmer. The wind disaster arrived swiftly but receded slowly. Amidst the wind and rain, it was impossible to distinguish day from night.

Li Fan felt that at least two or three days had passed before the wind disaster finally retreated.

"Thank you, Immortal Master!" The surviving islanders knelt on the ground, weeping profusely.

Amidst the islanders' chatter, Li Fan learned an even more startling piece of news. The wind disaster Glazed Island had just experienced was actually relatively small. The one fifteen years ago had been several times more powerful.

Back then, the island protection array had barely managed to hold, forced to shrink its protected area. Consequently, after that disaster, the areas not covered by the array were entirely obliterated by the wind disaster. Glazed Island's land area was reduced to only one-third of its original size. It took more than a decade after that wind disaster for Glazed Island to slowly recover its vitality by taking in disaster victims from elsewhere.

"A wind disaster… so this is what a wind disaster is..." Li Fan was deeply shaken. The might of heaven and earth was truly terrifying!